Behind The Scenes: Three Situations Dog Boarding Staff Members Encounter
Posted on: 17 March 2015
Have you ever dropped off or picked up your dog from a boarding kennel and marveled at the organized chaos in the facility? From the outside looking in, a boarding kennel may seem like a loud, disorderly place. Boarding facility staff are quite possibly among the most coordinated and composed group of dog lovers you will ever find. Here is a peek into what staff members deal with each and every day, and how you can help.
Lying Dog Owners
Like parents, dog owners usually see no wrong in their children. Dog boarding staff members do not know clients' dogs' personality nuances nearly as well as the dog owners. Thus, staff members must rely on what dog owners tell them--and dog owners frequently lie, or at least withhold the truth.
For example, if your dog is fearful around certain genders, races, or age groups, you might be too embarrassed to alert boarding staff to your dog's prejudices. Or, if your very large dog unexpectedly mounts peoples' legs, you might refrain from warning the boarding staff. Staff members work with all kinds of canine personalities, so they are fully aware of the variety of embarrassing habits dogs often have. If you do not tell staff members details like this, you are putting staff members at risk because they are unable to prepare for surprise attacks, unforeseen fear biting, and other potentially dangerous behaviors.
Lack of Medically Necessary Supplies
When dog owners go on trips, especially last-minute ones, they are often so sidetracked with packing and transportation arrangements that they overlook their pet's medical needs. This places boarding staff in a very stressful situation.
If your dog needs medication, leave more than enough dosages with the facility in case your trip takes longer than expected. Also leave dosing instructions and your veterinarian's phone number. If a dog owner does not leave enough medication with boarding staff, that pet is at risk and can even die. Boarding facilities will have a veterinarian on call, but that is no guarantee that the veterinarian will have a dog's medication on hand.
Abandoned and Abused Pets
Unfortunately, many people bring their unwanted pets to boarding facilities and then refuse to pick them up. Boarding staff try to contact these owners, but the owners might ignore phone calls or change their phone numbers. In some cases, these owners are moving and do not want to take their pets to shelters and think that boarding facilities are more likely to prevent their pets from becoming euthanized. This places an additional burden on boarding staff who love dogs (naturally), but are left in the dark about what really happened to the owner. Staff members will not want to re-home an abandoned dog if there is a chance the owner is simply hospitalized, for example.
Not all people treat their pets as lovingly as you treat your dog, either. Abusive owners leave town and board their pets, too. When boarding facility staff suspect that a dog is being abused at home, they often feel a moral obligation to report their suspicions. Yet, it is not always easy to differentiate an abused dog and a rescued animal. To err on the side of reporting could cause a responsible dog owner to lose a beloved pet, but to err on the side of not reporting could subject that dog to future abuse. Talk to a center like All Creatures Inn for more information.
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